Dr. Anjum Usman may be subject to discipline by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation over her controversial treatments of the disorder. more ›

An Illinois tech startup is making lemonade out of lemons by utilizing some of the traits found in individuals with autism. more ›

• The Tribune discovered personal data literally floating down the street.
• Ald. Ike Carothers has allegedly reached a deal that will involve him pleading guilty on Monday to bribery charges; a guilty plea would require Carothers to resign from his position.
• The former mayor of Niles, Nick Blase, was sentenced to a year in prison for his part in a shakedown scheme.

Sym and Wade Rankin, parents of a 10-year-old boy with autism, want to let everyone know they've canceled their subscription to the Chicago Tribune and are encouraging others to do the same. The reason? The Rankins were piqued by a series of articles written by Tribune investigate reporters Trine Tsouderos and Patricia Callahan about alternative methods of treating autism, especially ones that give off a distinct aroma of snake oil. more ›

The alleged assault of a 16-year-old autistic teenager at his family’s fast-food restaurant in Pilsen Friday sheds light on the need for specialized police training on how to deal with special needs citizens in the city, family members said. Oscar Guzman, 16, suffered a gash to his head that required eight stitches, his family said. Police refused to provide details of the incident but the family shared their account of the confrontation, according to Chicago Breaking News. Guzman’s family worries the teen, who has the mental capacity of a 5th-grader, will be emotionally scarred from the incident, the news report said. more ›

Remember that amendatory veto Blagojevich put together a while back? The one that would have required insurance companies to cover up to $36,000 a year in occupational, physical, speech and behavioral therapies in addition to psychiatric and psychological services, and an unlimited number of doctor visits for autistic kids until they turn 21? more ›

A new school has opened in Chicago’s Medical District. The Easter Seals Therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research, a $32 million project, is specifically designed to meet the special needs of students with autism, emotional behavior disorders and severe learning disabilities. more ›

The Autism Awareness Kids Baseball Program, a summer baseball league taking place on Sunday mornings in Humboldt Park, is Chicago’s first sports program for children with autism. The league was conceived by Alex Cruz, who was reluctant to place his autistic son in a competitive environment where he might be teased or ignored. Local families came together to help make the idea a reality, and now with the support of former White Sox infielder Alex Cintrón, the league has plans to expand into four little league teams for children with autism and with other special needs. Future plans are to expand the program into indoor soccer, basketball, and floor hockey. more ›

Governor Blagojevich used his amendatory veto power Sunday to expand House Bill 4255, which requires public employee health plans to cover preventative physical therapy treatments for multiple sclerosis and to expand autism coverage. The legislation comes from Senate Bill 1900, which did not pass earlier this year, despite broad bi-partisan support. Insurance policies in Illinois will now be required to cover up to $36,000 a year in occupational, physical, speech and behavioral therapies in addition to psychiatric and psychological services, and an unlimited number of doctor visits for autistic kids until they turn 21. "Since most insurance companies do not cover the cost of treating autism, families can be torn apart and sent to the brink of financial ruin trying to care for their child," Blagojevich said Sunday. more ›

The University of Chicago Medical Center will be opening a physicians' office downtown, which the Trib says is "another attempt to compete with Northwestern Memorial Hospital on its home turf." [Trib] more ›